Tom Patsis turns old license plates, flywheels, camshafts, rims, and swap meet finds into custom trophies with real racing history built into every piece.

If you’re a welder, fabricator, car builder, or creative maker trying to figure out how welding skills can lead to unique work, this episode shows what that process actually looks like.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to spot parts at a swap meet that can become strong, eye-catching trophy pieces

• Why Tom looks for weight, balance, color, and story when choosing materials for a custom build

• How to negotiate with vendors without breaking the budget on specialty parts

• What to consider when joining different metals and choosing the right welding process

• How Tom built a trophy business from fabrication skills he developed in the racing world

Tom Patsis is a trophy builder, fabricator, and the Season 1 winner of Metal Shop Masters on Netflix. His work blends welding, racing history, found objects, and custom fabrication into trophies shipped to customers around the world. For WELD listeners, Tom’s story is a reminder that welding skills can open doors far beyond a traditional shop job.

Connect with Tom Patsis:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coldhardart/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/coldhardart 

Website: https://coldhardart.com/ 

Connect with Beau Wigington:

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding

Download the WELD App:

iOS: App Store https://foxly.link/m6jqqa 

Android: Google Play https://foxly.link/cYEXjL 

If you enjoyed this episode leave us a review to help us inspire more welders out there.

#WeldingPodcast #trophybuild #fabrication #WELD #coldhardart

Your first welding job might not be the cleanest, highest-paying, or most glamorous job, but it can teach you more than school ever could.

If you’re fresh out of welding school, getting ready to apply, or trying to figure out how to land your first real welding job, this episode gives you real stories from welders who have been there.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to get your foot in the door even when you don’t have years of welding experience yet

• Why your first job may involve more grinding, helping, and learning than actual welding at first

• What real welders learned after leaving school and stepping into shops, fabrication work, pressure vessels, aluminum, and field repairs

• How taking a chance on the right opportunity can open jobs you didn’t even know were possible, including overseas welding work

• Why finding the right people, mentors, and work environment can shape the direction of your welding career

This episode brings together some of Beau’s favorite first welding job stories from past WELD Podcast guests, including Liv Taylor Dodge, Austin Hargett, Nate Bowman, Donny Spara, Korissa Morgan, Jonathon Herrera, EJ Naegeli, Brett Fenning, and Keenan Maines. Each story gives a different look at how welders get started, what they learn fast, and why the first job is often less about the paycheck and more about building experience, confidence, and direction.

Connect with Beau Wigington:

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding

Download the WELD App:

iOS: App Store https://foxly.link/m6jqqa 

Android: Google Play https://foxly.link/cYEXjL 

If this show has helped your welding career, leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps other welders find it.

#WeldingPodcast #WeldingCareer #WeldingJobs #WELD #WeldingEducation

Robotic welding is not replacing skilled welders, it is creating a new lane for welders who understand the puddle, the process, and how to work safely around automation.If you are a welder thinking about robotics, automation, or a career shift that builds on your hands-on welding skills, this episode shows what that path can actually look like.In this episode, you’ll learn:How GTCC’s new GMAW robotic welding course teaches students to program and operate Panasonic TM1100 robots with Miller Continuum weldersWhy robotic welding still depends on real welding knowledge, including parameters, puddle control, part prep, and knowing what a good weld should look likeWhat students learn first when stepping into robotics, from pendant controls and robot axes to home positions, approach points, and safe movement inside the cellHow proper fit-up, jigging, and part preparation can make or break production welding with a robotWhy safety, limiters, reamers, anti-spatter systems, and return-to-home programming matter before anyone starts chasing speed or production numbersZebidiah Downey is a welding instructor at GTCC and a pipe welder by background who is helping build the school’s robotic GMAW welding curriculum. He brings a hands-on welder’s perspective to automation, showing students that robotics is not about abandoning the trade, it is about applying welding fundamentals in a new environment. His approach keeps the focus on safety, skill, process knowledge, and helping welders become more marketable as the industry changes.Learn more about GTCC:Website: https://gtcc.edu/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/guilford_tech/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GTechCC/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/guilfordtech/ X: https://x.com/_gtcc Connect with Beau Wigington:Instagram: @beaudiditweldingDownload the WELD App:iOS: App Store https://foxly.link/m6jqqa Android: Google Play https://foxly.link/cYEXjL If this show has helped your welding career, leaving a 5-star review, takes 30 seconds and helps other welders find it.#WeldingPodcast #WeldingJobs #WELD #WeldingEducation #WeldingSchool

Backyard welding events are giving first-timers the kind of hands-on shop experience that many schools no longer offer.

If you’re a welder, maker, teacher, fabricator, or someone who wants to help more people get into the trades, this episode shows what can happen when a community opens the shop doors and lets people learn by doing.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why community-based maker events can help fill the gap left by disappearing shop classes

• How Sparks and Sawdust gave woodworkers and beginners a chance to weld on a real Santa Maria grill build

• What makes learning on an actual project different from practicing beads on flat plate

• How Papa Chad kept his first event simple, hands-on, and focused on learning instead of turning it into a big production

• Why welders, fabricators, and makers can play a bigger role in bringing new people into the trades

Papa Chad is a maker, builder, and host of Sparks and Sawdust in Phoenix City, Alabama. His property brings together a welding shop, wood shop, sawmill pad, custom pizza oven, and enough equipment to give first-timers a real hands-on experience. What makes his perspective valuable is that he is not trying to impress anybody — he is creating a place where people can try new skills, build something real, and leave better than they came in.

Connect with Papa Chad:

Instagram: @AlabamaPapaChad

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Papa_Chad 

Website: PapaChad.com

Connect with Tom from Phoenix Wood Shop:

Instagram: @PhoenixWoodShop

Connect with Chris from Green Money Fab

Instagram: @GreenMoneyFab

Connect with Beau Wigington:

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding

Download the WELD App:

iOS: App Store https://foxly.link/m6jqqa 
Android: Google Play https://foxly.link/cYEXjL

If this show has helped your welding career, leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps other welders find it.

#WeldingPodcast #WeldingCareer #WeldingJobs #WELD #TradeLife #WeldingLife #WeldingEducation #WeldingSchool #Fabrication #MetalFab

Jackson Williams is building large-scale steel sculptures with handmade bending tools, a MIG welder, and a small corner of a shared shop.

If you're a welder thinking about getting into metal art, starting small, or building something original without buying a shop full of equipment, this episode will show you what actually matters.

• Learn how Jackson builds full-size animal sculptures from half-inch round bar using mostly hand bending and simple jigs

• See how he scales reference images on the floor to lay out a framework before skinning a sculpture with rod

• Understand why shared shop space can be a smarter move than trying to outfit your own shop from scratch

• Hear how posting his work online and saying yes to Fabtech helped create momentum and new opportunities

• Take away Jackson’s best advice for beginners: start small, play around, and fix anything that is not right

Jackson Williams is a steel sculptor based in Asheville, building wildlife and figure sculptures from round bar with a style that emphasizes motion, anatomy, and flow. He developed his craft working alongside his father, sculptor Chris Williams, before carving out his own direction in steel rod sculpture. What makes his work stand out to WELD listeners is how much he’s able to create with basic tools, strong fundamentals, and a clear artistic eye.

Connect with Jackson Williams:

Instagram: @williamssculpture https://www.instagram.com/williamssculpture/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/williamssculpture/ 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@williamssculpture 

Website: https://www.williamssculpture.com/ 

Connect with Beau Wigington:

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding

Download the WELD App:

iOS: WELD App on the App Store https://foxly.link/m6jqqa 

Android: WELD App on Google Play https://foxly.link/cYEXjL 

If this show has helped your career, leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps other welders find it.

Harrison Stone started his welding business at 24, but staying in the trade has meant learning how to work through serious health challenges, protect himself on the job, and build income beyond just welding.

If you're a welder thinking about going out on your own, getting into mobile work, or trying to build a business that can survive real-life setbacks, this episode will give you a more honest picture of what that path looks like.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How Harrison went from welding school to running his own business in just a few years
• Why safety, respirators, and pacing matter more when your health is already working against you
• What mobile welders need to understand about overhead, helpers, tool costs, and jobsite prep
• How Harrison uses social media to land brand deals and create income outside of fabrication jobs
• Why younger welders should think beyond one paycheck and build multiple income streams early

Harrison Stone is a welder, fabricator, and business owner who built his operation out of his grandfather’s old shop while navigating POTS and the physical demands of welding work. He has experience in TIG production welding, fabrication, mobile jobs, and content creation for welding and tool brands. His story stands out because it gives listeners a realistic look at building a welding business while dealing with health challenges, overhead, and the pressure to keep moving forward.

Sponsors:

Save 20% on American Welding Program courses with code WELD20 at AmericanWeldingProgram.org.

Connect with Harrison Stone:

Instagram: @harrisonstone
Website: ahweldingservices.com

Connect with Beau Wigington:

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding

Download the WELD App:

iOS: https://foxly.link/m6jqqa
Android: https://foxly.link/cYEXjL

Subscribe for weekly episodes from the welding world. New episode every week.

If this show has helped your career, leaving a 5-star review where you listen to your podcasts takes 30 seconds and helps other welders find it.

In this episode, host Beau Wigington chats with Aaron Wulk about his path from race team fabrication to welding education and metal art, how competitions like SkillsUSA shape the industry, and why putting your work out into the world matters even when you are not chasing attention. Aaron also shares practical advice on learning welding, understanding metallurgy, choosing materials for sculpture, and preparing for competition.

Save 20% On Related American Welding Program Courses With WELD20

Use code WELD20 at checkout for eligible courses - https://foxly.link/9T3dtc 

Connect with Aaron Wulk

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-wulk-cwi-cwe-648958151  

Instagram - @black_mirror_sculptures https://www.instagram.com/black_mirror_sculptures/ 

Connect with Beau Wigington

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding — https://www.instagram.com/beaudiditwelding 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beauwigington 

 E-mail: [email protected]

In this episode, host Beau Wigington chats with Chuck Faught from Flametech Scorpion about what it really takes to cut thick metal with oxy-fuel equipment. Using Chuck’s flame-covered torch throne as the backdrop, they break down the differences between torch styles, how oxygen flow affects cutting capacity, when to use long torches, and why fuel gas choice matters more than most people think. They also get into flashback arrestors, hose restrictions, and safety considerations that can directly affect cut quality in the field.

Save 20% On Related American Welding Program Courses With WELD20

Use code WELD20 at checkout for eligible courses - https://foxly.link/9T3dtc 

Connect with Chuck Faught 

Instagram: @lucky_chuckie https://www.instagram.com/lucky_chuckie/ 

LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/chuck-faught-26431480/ 

Flametech Scorpion: @flametech_scorpion https://www.instagram.com/flametech_scorpion/ 

Website: https://flametechnologies.com/ 

Connect with Beau Wigington

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding — https://www.instagram.com/beaudiditwelding 

 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beauwigington 

 E-mail: [email protected]

In this episode, host Beau Wigington breaks down 27 different welding processes and ranks them by utility, accessibility, and overall cool factor. From shop staples like MIG, TIG, stick, and flux core to niche processes like atomic hydrogen, electron beam, and thermite welding, Beau gives his honest take on which methods are the most practical, which are the most interesting, and which ones are just plain fun to talk about.

Whether you’re new to welding or already deep in the trade, this episode is a great overview of how many different paths exist in the welding world, and why some processes earn a permanent place in the conversation.

Save 20% On Related American Welding Program Courses With WELD20Use code WELD20 at checkout for eligible courses - https://foxly.link/9T3dtc

Connect with Beau Wigington

Instagram: @beaudiditwelding — https://www.instagram.com/beaudiditwelding

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/beauwigington

E-mail: [email protected]

Watch The Video Version Of The Podcast - https://youtu.be/ATdFcSDQ8UM

In this week's podcast, we go back to Fabtech 2024 where Beau sits down at the  @esabweldingandcutting   booth with Scott Raabe to talk about the path way to starting his school Precision Welding Academy, and then Ian Johnson pops by to talk about what you need to get started in automotive fabrication. 

Connect with Scott Raabe

Instagram 

@scott_raabe https://www.instagram.com/scott_raabe/

@precisionweldingacademy https://www.instagram.com/precisionweldingacademy/

Precision Welding Academy Website - https://www.precisionweldingacademy.com/

Connect with Ian Johnson

Instagram

@ianfrombigtiregarage https://www.instagram.com/ianfrombigtiregarage/

Connect with Beau

Weld App @beaudidit

Instagram @beaudiditwelding

Email - ⁠[email protected]⁠

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